The Talk
by myBlueprints
Summary: Starts with Abbie and Corbin, moves to her and Ichabod, and ends with Katrina.
1. Chapter 1

**I meant for this to be part of the last chapter of The Apprisal, but I didn't want that chapter to be long. I added, subtracted and this final product came about. If you haven't read The Apprisal, don't go back to read it, this is the much better piece.**

The persistence behind the endless ringing of her phone is doing a lot more to annoy her than calm her down. She doesn't understand why he didn't give up trying after the fifth time. It's that her phone hasn't stopped ringing, which means he hasn't stopped trying to contact her. He should've stopped trying, by now he should've gotten the message that she's not going to answer his calls. She'd much rather face a demon at this particular time than talk to him.

'You know, if you're not going to answer that, it's better to switch it off.' Abbie whips around to see where the voice is coming from. As though he never died, Corbin stands at the frame of the kitchen door, looking very alive. Abbie has to remind herself that he's dead, he's not in her kitchen to enjoy a cup of coffee like he used to do. She doesn't say anything, only looking from the phone in her hands to Corbin.

She's actually thought about turning it off so the ringing would stop, but somehow, she couldn't do it. Now that Corbin has suggested it, she does, she presses the off switch, and just like that, the ringing stops. It's not a relief.

'What are you doing here Corbin?' Of all the things she could've asked, that is the one that comes from her mouth. It's not what she wanted to ask, it's Crane fault that she did. They argued. They had a real argument that had both of them shouting at one another without caring what came out of their mouths. He made her furious, and she evoked choler in him, it was terrible.

'I'm sorry,' Abbie acknowledges her impoliteness, 'I'm just...I'm sorry Corbin.' She feels shame creeping up on her for behaving the way she did a second ago, Corbin didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of her annoyance, it's not her fault that Crane crawled under her skin.

'I understand,' is all the old man says. He begins walking to her, stopping at the opposite end of the table.

'Wanna tell me what's wrong?' he asks.

Abbie always imagined that the dead could see what happened on earth, what the people did and how they did it. She's struggling to believe that Corbin doesn't really know what's bothering her.

'I'm just...' Where does she begin? What does she tell him? The beginning seems like such a lifetime ago that if she starts there, she'll never get to the now and present. She places the phone on the table, staring at it as though it will give her the perfect place to start.

'You know Abbie I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong,' he tells her. She looks at him, her eyebrows furrowed just a little.

'Aren't you supposed to know what's going on or something?'

Corbin laughs quietly, shaking his head, 'Kid, I'm not special, I only come for guidance, whatever happens before that is not my place...I'm only here to help you. So what's going on?'

At first, Abbie can only shrug, because she still doesn't know where to begin.

'Okay,' he pulls out a chair and sits in it, 'how about you tell me how you are?'

The corners of her mouth turn upwards, 'Really?' He can't seriously want to know how she is, that's just another complete thing on its own.

'Finally getting the hang of being a Witness yet?' he tactfully creates a start.

'Not yet,' she admits with a tiny smile, 'but I guess it's easier now...a little.'

'You'll get there.'

Abbie pulls out a chair as well, but doesn't sit yet, 'I hope so.'

His next words come as a comfort to her, 'And as long as you have people fighting with you, you'll always be fine.' She's not so sure about that though, if she doesn't make up with Crane, she will never be fine. Right now, it doesn't seem that she ever will stop being angry with him.

'I don't know Corbin. It's just a mess right now,' she says, 'I feel like we've just burned bridges, it's just a mess.' Thinking about it makes her want to cry. It doesn't look like she and Crane will get over the argument, they said pretty hurtful things to each other. She's sorry for that, yet extremely angry with him. He doesn't value her at all.

'Bridges can be rebuild,' the old man offers, 'You can fix this.' One of his hands stretch out across the table, stopping close to where hers is, near the phone. Abbie looks at his hand for a moment before placing hers atop his.

'I don't know,' she doubts, as though she's answering a question he asked.

'You can,' he insists softly, 'because the two of you are meant to do all this together. He can't do it alone, and neither can you.'

Abbie frowns again, apparently Corbin knows that she's talking about Crane. And she's not sure that he needs her, not now that Katrina's around, she is after all the witch with all the power.

'He won't be alone,' Abbie hears herself say, letting her hand fall off from his.

'He needs you Abbie, it has to be you,' he tells her softly, getting her full attention, 'You are the Witness. It easily could've been Jenny or anyone else as the Witness. Katrina, the all powerful witch, who he met before you, who belonged in his time, who knew of what would happen...she could've been the Witness. But she's not Abbie, you are...centuries later, you are the Witness. No one can ever take that away from you.'

Still doubting, Abbie disagrees by shaking her head.

'Why do you refuse to accept it?' he wants to know. Her stubborn refusal is one of the reasons why she and Crane fought earlier. She wouldn't agree to his travelling back in time with Katrina to retrieve an artefact that they needed. The problem was that he thought it would be too dangerous for her to go with them, but she didn't want to hear that he was willing to leave her behind while he put himself in danger. Things turned ugly, Katrina was mentioned, Purgatory was thrown in there, and undealt with issues surfaced. It became a verbal war.

For her, it was more that he didn't understand that by now they couldn't and shouldn't be apart, but he set her off when he made it sound like having Katrina with him instead of her was the better thing. She didn't like being compared to Katrina, much less replaced by her. Naturally, she pointed out all of Katrina's errors. Ichabod retaliated only by throwing it in her face that Katrina is his wife, and he loves her nonetheless. He literally made her feel like a mistress by mentioning that Katrina is his wife. She's never needed reminding of that. Never.

'He doesn't need me,' she says sadly, 'he has Katrina.' Some of his last words still linger in her head. Nothing angered her more than hearing him say he could very well get on fine without her. Which means, clearly, that he doesn't need her.

Corbin remains silent for a moment, allowing her words to sink in. Abbie takes a seat.

'You're hurting,' the way he says it makes her know that he's concluded it from their conversation, 'I understand why you might think that.'

She's not hurting, she's angry with Crane. She's so inexplicably angry with him for making her angry. Hurt, is the last thing she feels. The strange part is, she's so sorry about everything. She wishes he did need her.

'He said it,' she says dryly, 'Right in my face he told me that he didn't need me.'

'Abbie, kid, it's not like that. I don't know much of what happens between you two, but I know he needs you. You must know that he does. You have to be together to win this thing. And he's been calling...'

Abbie looks at the phone, remembering that he has been calling. She hates how right Corbin probably is.

'It's much easier to be angry with him,' she confesses.

Corbin smiles, 'Only because being angry means you won't concentrate on why you're bothered so much.'

Well, that part, she won't deny, but she won't confirm either. She remains quiet.

'Give him a chance Abbie.' He's referring to the phonecalls.

'So you think I should call him?' as she asks, she pulls the phone from the table into her, then gets ready to turn it back on. She looks up to hear Corbin's answer, only he's not there anymore. Abbie sighs, at least he helped a little, she wouldn't be willing to reconcile if he hadn't spoken to her. Quite quickly (so that she doesn't change her mind), she turns her phone on, then hits the call button twice, once for the call log, and the other to call him.

Barely two rings later, he picks up, remaining quiet.

'Crane,' she says, 'we need to talk.'


	2. Chapter 2

**You know when the whole point of a story is just 1 specific part or one sentence, and you have to create a beginning so you can have that one part, this is one of those pieces. It's only 1 thing that I wanted, but I obviously couldn't write it by itself.**

She expected that it wouldn't be easy to begin, but she didn't expect silence. He's strangely quiet for a man who wouldn't give up calling her. It makes her wonder what he would've said had she picked up the phone when he was calling. Of course she doesn't think their talk will be a sail, but still...someone has to start the talking.

'Look,' she starts, 'I drove all the way here so we could talk.' That's all she can manage to say. She's not going to apologise, she's not going to ask him what he wanted to tell her. She's made the first move, he has to make the next.

He takes a step out of the cabin, his other foot still inside. She takes it to mean that he doesn't want to leave the cabin. Whatever his reason for remaining inside is, something has to happen and fast, because she knocked over three minutes ago, he opened the door around the same time. He kept his hand around the handle and simply looked at her. If he wasn't going to invite her in, he could at least come out.

'I realise that this must not be what you prefer-' he begins.

'I'm here am I not?' she interjects quickly. Now is seriously not the time to think about what both of them prefer.

'Right,' he frowns, 'shall we step outside?'

Before his sentence is complete, he's already stepped out of the cabin, pulled the door close behind him, and takes hold of her arm to pull her along with him. Abbie barely has time to register that he has his hand on her when he lets go. She stands frozen for a second. He walks towards her car without her, a clear sign that she should follow him. When he is three steps ahead, she walks after him.

'Where are we going?' her steps are taken in huge chunks in attempt to catch up with him. Not answering her, Ichabod carries on walking; past her car, towards the truss bridge-like stand on the side of the lake. He only stops once he's standing on the wooden support. Abbie joins him on it, leaning her body on one side of the wooden rail.

'We have some patching to do,' he says, his eyes stare directly into hers. Neither of them look away, but she remains quiet.

'I apologise Miss Mills,' he tries again, 'I never intended that we quarrel over my suggestion.'

The argument was bound to happen, Abbie thinks, sometime, they would've argued anyway. That they argued isn't the problem, it's what he said, what he implied and how he didn't think.

'I don't care that we fought,' she folds her arms. What she cares about is how he made her feel, the stupid things he said and mostly how he willingly chooses Katrina over her.

'Of course,' he agrees calmly, his tone implying that he doesn't believe her, 'Again, I apologise, I never intended to go so far.'

There's a battle within her, whether to hate him for apologising when that does nothing at all for her, or to shake hands and let the issue die then.

'You did,' she says. She realises that she also said mean things to him, but what came from her mouth, was only the truth, plus she's not sorry she said those things.

'Can you ever forgive me?'

'I could,' she turns her head the other way, 'but I have no guarantee that you won't pull a stupid stunt again.'

After a moment of silence, he speaks, 'You're still upset about the map?' he comes to a realisation.

'No,' she answers truthfully, 'not about the map.'

'About what then?'

She lets a moment pass, talking is what she came for, and if she doesn't tell him the truth, her time would be wasted. 'You don't appreciate me Crane.'

It's as simple as that. He doesn't value her, all he cares about is his precious Katrina, no one else.

'That's not true.' His retort is fast and clear, but she can't believe it. She feels unappreciated.

'It is.'

Again, he clearly says, 'It's not.'

'We're supposed to be the team, you and me Crane.' Not him and Katrina, they are not the Witnesses.

'We are a team.'

Her next words, she chooses carefully, they should only sound accusing, not personal, 'No, because Katrina comes before everyone else...'

'She's my wife, I have a duty-'

Abbie rolls her eyes, of course he would say that. 'Like I don't know that.'

'Pardon?' Either he doesn't understand what she means or he really doesn't understand, his face looks too lost.

'It's not about us anymore Crane,' she tries not to raise her voice, 'we only get to care for the bigger world. Personal lives are thrown out the window, we don't prioritize those before saving the world.'

He bows his head as though he's been scolded, 'I am aware of that.'

'No,' she argues, 'no, I don't think you are. You don't act like it.'

'I am aware,' he insists, 'You more than any other should know that I am.' Somehow as he spoke, he managed to take a few steps to her without her realising.

Something about the way he speaks irritates Abbie, not by choice, her arms unfold and she throws her hands up in the air, 'No, actually Crane, that's just the point, I don't know. Not when Katrina is involved. I understand that you love her and you want to be with her, but if every time she's involved, you choose her...If I got back together with Luke and put him before everything, you'd-'

'Are you?' he cuts sharply.

'What?' she doesn't understand, his questions doesn't make sense.

His face turns very serious when he asks, 'Are you getting back together with Luke?'

That's hardly the issue, she thinks hotly, he shouldn't care anyway. 'It doesn't matter.' No, she's not getting back together with Luke, there's no time for that now.

'It does,' Ichabod pushes, 'He would have to know of what really happens in Sleepy Hollow, and you once told me that you wouldn't be able to tell him these things.'

'The point is,' she carries on as though he never interrupted her, 'I wouldn't ever do that to you, Luke or anyone else with me, because I know how important our fight is.'

Realisation comes over him, 'You feel that I don't appreciate you?'

'Yes.'

'Why?'

'I just feel that way...' she tells him, omitting the part about it being only when it comes to Katrina. He takes another step to her, bringing him extremely close to her.

'I...I...I don't...it's not...Abbie I...' Apparently he can't form sentences.

'It doesn't matter. Let's just move on. I just want to move on...forget I said anything.' She's tired now, talking some more won't change that. At least she's not angry anymore. To show him that she isn't, she takes his left hand into her own, squeezing it lightly. As she does, she spies from the corner of her eye Katrina walking towards them, and just then he raise her hand to him, pressing an apologetic kiss inside her palm.

'I swear to you, as long as I live, I will aim to earn your trust once again. To demonstrate my value of you.'

'Crane,' she calls warningly, all of a sudden feeling like Katrina will find them in the act of adultery. She's never had reason to think that before today, well before she started feeling replaced by Katrina.

Instantly (magically?) Katrina appears at the beginning of the landing, a rather pasted smile on her face.

'My love,' she calls for Ichabod (who only lowers Abbie's hand a little), 'I would like a word with Miss Mills.'

The two Witnesses pull identical faces, then look at each other. Ichabod lets go of her hand, 'Very well,' he steps back from Abbie, 'I shall leave you to talk.'


	3. Chapter 3

The levels of awkwardness just upped, Abbie thinks as she watches Crane walking away. He shouldn't have left the two of them alone. Abbie for one doesn't want to be in an uncomfortable situation.

'So...' Abbie wants the conversation as over as yesterday. Katrina offers her a smile, less pasted, more unnerving, or maybe Abbie just likes to imagine things.

'I did always want to live overlooking the waters,' Katrina begins, her eyes on the lake, 'There is a certain serenity to it, don't you think?'

'Hmm,' Abbie sounds, only so that she doesn't blurt out what that has to do with her. Katrina faces Abbie, a bit of her smile disappearing, 'But of course, you must only be wondering why I want to have a word...'

No, she's not wondering, she's just waiting for whatever the other woman is going to say, so in response she shrugs.

'It's about Ichabod,' Katrina tells her. Abbie didn't think it would be about anything else.

'What's wrong with him?' is her immediate question.

'Oh, no, no, nothing is the matter with Ichabod.'

Then why are we talking about him, Abbie thinks with a frown, she hopes Katrina doesn't read her thoughts though.

'I just wanted to inform you of my gratitude,' Karina begins, 'I am truly grateful for all you've done for Ichabod, you have helped him find his bearings, and didn't allow his rather prideful manner to overtake him. I thank you Miss Mills, especially for welcoming him as family when he had no one in this foreign world to turn to.'

Abbie can taste a 'but' coming, she's not sure why. 'Someone had to do it,' she says, making it sound as lightly as she could.

'And I am grateful that it was you Miss Mills, for I fear that he wouldn't have survived.' Katrina's voice is such a wave of politeness that Abbie starts doubting if she's right about the direction of the conversation.

'It could've been anyone else,' Abbie says, hoping their talk is coming to an end. She still doesn't completely trust that Katrina is being truthful.

Katrina smiles at her answer, 'No matter,' she says, 'I would've been grateful in either case...'

'Is there something you want to tell Katrina, because I feel like we're just dancing around the real issue.' Abbie decided to be blunt so they can move along, no more the beating around the bush thing. She can see that Katrina is taken aback by her directness.

'Yes,' Katrina replies, 'there is something...I've noticed that you have an immediate response to shelter him and he you...'

Abbie bites on her tongue softly to keep from asking, your point Katrina?

'And I completely understand why you had to do it before...' Katrina pauses again, leaving Abbie to piece her words together. And no way, no way is Katrina telling her to back off.

Involuntarily, Abbie takes on her argument stance, lips pursed, eyes slightly slanted, 'Did he tell you that we argued?' Nothing else can be the reason for this 'friendly' talk.

'He didn't have to,' Katrina replies, 'he's my husband, I know him.' Abbie wonders what the deal is with them reminding her of their marriage all the time.

'So what is it Katrina? Are you telling me to keep my distance, is that it?'

'No Miss Mills, I'm telling you that before Ichabod came to you, we discussed the matter and agreed that it was I who was to go with him. When he returned I immediately knew that your talk had not gone well. Miss Mills he holds your friendship dearly, the least you could do is try not to-'

'I don't care who goes with him,' Abbie cuts, 'I care that he values my opinion.' That he values me, is the part she doesn't add.

'He does value you,' Katrina's voice strains, answering a statement Abbie didn't speak. Suddenly, it makes sense to Abbie, Katrina feels threatened, maybe she feels that Crane doesn't need her anymore.

'It doesn't feel like it,' Abbie finds herself confessing. Katrina sighs heavily.

'Miss Mills, believe me, he values you. All I want to ask you is that you support him. Now that I am here at least, I can assist much more and I will do everything I can to help him...I just need you to allow him a few things.'

'Allowing him a few things can lead to a whole lot of things,' Abbie says. She's exhausted now, she doesn't want to be told indirectly to keep a little distance from Crane.

'I am here now Miss Mills,' Katrina repeats, 'I will help him keep his head, I know how to.' Translating, 'we don't need you anymore.' Abbie has had enough, she can't listen to anything anymore, 'Okay,' she resigns. Besides she knows how to get Crane to keep his cool too.


End file.
